Krista Garcia is a seasoned chef and culinary instructor living on Maui. She moved to the island early 2015 to assist in opening the Mill House, a farm-table restaurant at Maui Tropical Plantation with Chef Jeff Scheer, Maui's 2015 Aipono Chef of the Year.
Chef Krista has since been hired as a Baking and Pastry Arts Instructor at University of Hawaii, Maui Culinary Academy.
Prior to her move to Maui, and after nearly ten years outside of a restaurant kitchen, Chef Krista Garcia was hired as a Pastry Chef de Partie at The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s world renowned restaurant in Yountville, California. It was truly one of the most incredible experiences of her life, working at the Michelin 3 Star level, amongst superior talent and drive.
Krista Garcia, chef and pastry chef, began her culinary adventures in 1997 as a student at Napa Valley Cooking School in St. Helena, California. This intensive training program emphasized hands-on cooking skills, providing a platform from which Krista has launched into an almost 2 decade culinary career. She had graduated earlier that same year from the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon where she received a BA in English, a minor in Theatre Arts, and the highest marks given by the college for the defense of her thesis - written on the symbolism of food in literature. (Go Ducks!)
She originally set out for the education that the Napa Valley Cooking School would offer because of her desire to be a food writer, but once in the kitchen she realized that she wanted to be a chef. While working at Catahoula - Chef Jan Birnbaum’s iconic restaurant in Calistoga - she found herself being asked to work in the pastry department- something she hadn’t really wanted to do. Despite that, her enthusiastic “Yes, Chef!” attitude opened the door to a realm of the kitchen she hadn’t even considered....and it wasn’t long before she realized she had a passion for desserts and breads as much as stocks and sauces.
While attending school and working at Catahoula, Chef Krista wrote a column for the St. Helena Star entitled, “The Inquisitive Palate: A Monthly Exploration of Food and Lore in the Napa Valley,” in which she interviewed local bee keepers, cheese makers, bread bakers, and mushroom hunters; researched the history of the foods and our connection to them; and wrote recipes focusing on those ingredients.
Once finished with her training at the Napa Valley Cooking School, Krista moved to Seattle to work as Assistant Pastry Chef at Campagne and Cafe Campange - the beloved sister restaurants in the heart of Pike Place Market. Her time here was incredible, working with extremely talented chefs and with phenomenal ingredients, she continued to hone her craft and develop a sense of finesse.
Krista moved to Sonoma County to work as Pastry Chef at the Willow Wood Market Cafe for over a year. Then her love of live fires led her to a job as Pastry Chef at a brick oven bakery and restaurant, The West Pole, in Occidental, California. During her time there she didn’t turn on a conventional oven once! She baked all of the desserts in one of the beautiful earthen ovens, designed by brick maestro Alan Scott. Alan would become one of her mentors and dear friends - and eventually called on her to speak and do a cooking demonstration at the Brick Oven Baker’s Conference, held for nearly 25 years at the Sausalito Headlands. This was the first time that anyone had spoken about desserts and pastries to the passionate “bread-heads.” Krista loved sharing her experience and knowledge and realized that she wanted to become a teacher.
She had been offering demonstration classes at Napa Valley Cooking School, Sur La Table, and eventually became a full time Chef Instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College. She worked under the tutelage of two exceptional instructors: Chef Michael Salinger and Pastry Chef Cathy Burgett,. And so it was bittersweet when Krista left SRJC for a position as Chef Instructor and Pastry Chef Instructor at Napa Valley Cooking School. Here she has worked for many years alongside Executive Chef Barbara Alexander. Working with Chef B sharpened Krista’s skills and sense of self and prepared her for the path that lay ahead.
Chef Krista has since been hired as a Baking and Pastry Arts Instructor at University of Hawaii, Maui Culinary Academy.
Prior to her move to Maui, and after nearly ten years outside of a restaurant kitchen, Chef Krista Garcia was hired as a Pastry Chef de Partie at The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s world renowned restaurant in Yountville, California. It was truly one of the most incredible experiences of her life, working at the Michelin 3 Star level, amongst superior talent and drive.
Krista Garcia, chef and pastry chef, began her culinary adventures in 1997 as a student at Napa Valley Cooking School in St. Helena, California. This intensive training program emphasized hands-on cooking skills, providing a platform from which Krista has launched into an almost 2 decade culinary career. She had graduated earlier that same year from the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon where she received a BA in English, a minor in Theatre Arts, and the highest marks given by the college for the defense of her thesis - written on the symbolism of food in literature. (Go Ducks!)
She originally set out for the education that the Napa Valley Cooking School would offer because of her desire to be a food writer, but once in the kitchen she realized that she wanted to be a chef. While working at Catahoula - Chef Jan Birnbaum’s iconic restaurant in Calistoga - she found herself being asked to work in the pastry department- something she hadn’t really wanted to do. Despite that, her enthusiastic “Yes, Chef!” attitude opened the door to a realm of the kitchen she hadn’t even considered....and it wasn’t long before she realized she had a passion for desserts and breads as much as stocks and sauces.
While attending school and working at Catahoula, Chef Krista wrote a column for the St. Helena Star entitled, “The Inquisitive Palate: A Monthly Exploration of Food and Lore in the Napa Valley,” in which she interviewed local bee keepers, cheese makers, bread bakers, and mushroom hunters; researched the history of the foods and our connection to them; and wrote recipes focusing on those ingredients.
Once finished with her training at the Napa Valley Cooking School, Krista moved to Seattle to work as Assistant Pastry Chef at Campagne and Cafe Campange - the beloved sister restaurants in the heart of Pike Place Market. Her time here was incredible, working with extremely talented chefs and with phenomenal ingredients, she continued to hone her craft and develop a sense of finesse.
Krista moved to Sonoma County to work as Pastry Chef at the Willow Wood Market Cafe for over a year. Then her love of live fires led her to a job as Pastry Chef at a brick oven bakery and restaurant, The West Pole, in Occidental, California. During her time there she didn’t turn on a conventional oven once! She baked all of the desserts in one of the beautiful earthen ovens, designed by brick maestro Alan Scott. Alan would become one of her mentors and dear friends - and eventually called on her to speak and do a cooking demonstration at the Brick Oven Baker’s Conference, held for nearly 25 years at the Sausalito Headlands. This was the first time that anyone had spoken about desserts and pastries to the passionate “bread-heads.” Krista loved sharing her experience and knowledge and realized that she wanted to become a teacher.
She had been offering demonstration classes at Napa Valley Cooking School, Sur La Table, and eventually became a full time Chef Instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College. She worked under the tutelage of two exceptional instructors: Chef Michael Salinger and Pastry Chef Cathy Burgett,. And so it was bittersweet when Krista left SRJC for a position as Chef Instructor and Pastry Chef Instructor at Napa Valley Cooking School. Here she has worked for many years alongside Executive Chef Barbara Alexander. Working with Chef B sharpened Krista’s skills and sense of self and prepared her for the path that lay ahead.